As electronic devices become smaller, demand is growing for smaller connectors able to receive an inserted flat cable such as an FFC or FPC. These connectors include a housing, terminals accommodated inside the housing, and an actuator for moving the terminals so that the terminals press against the flat cable.
Each terminal has a base portion extending vertically, a front upper beam and a front lower beam extending forward from the base portion, and a rear upper beam and a rear lower beam extending to the rear from the base portion. The cam portion of the actuator is arranged between the rear upper beam and the rear lower beam.
One of these connectors has the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1 in which the rear upper beam is pushed up when the cam portion rotates between the rear upper beam and the rear lower beam. When the rear upper beam is pushed up, the front upper beam is inclined downward elastically with the base portion serving as the support point, and the space between the front upper beam and the front lower beam is narrowed. In this way, the front upper beam presses against the surface of the flat cable, and the flat cable is pinched and secured by the front upper beam and the front lower beam.
Patent Document 1: JP Patent No. 4897917